Page:The Emperor Marcus Antoninus - His Conversation with Himself.djvu/239

 Rh would bring him: And that many People contest the Point with that Reason that Governs the World, and with which they are daily Conversant: And seem perfectly unacquainted with those things which occur daily. Farther, we must not Nod over Business, nor dream away Life, like People who fancy they are mightily employ'd, when they are fast in their Beds. Neither are we to be wholly govern'd by Tradition; For that's like Children, who believe any thing their Parents tell them.

XLVII. Put the case some God should acquaint you, you were to Die to Morrow, or next Day at farthest. Under this Warning, you would be a very Poor Wretch if you should strongly solicit for the longest time : For alas ! how inconsiderable is the difference? In like manner if you would Reason right, and compute upon the Notion of Eternity, you would not be much concerned whether your Life was up to Morrow, or a Thousand Years hence.

XLVIII. Consider how many Physicians are Dead that us'd to value themselves upon the Cure of their Patients; How many Astrologers who thought themselves Great Men by foretelling the Death of others; How many Philosophers have gone the way of all Flesh, after all their Learned Disputes about dying, and Immorta- Rh